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HB180 • 2026

Bar adverse employment action against precinct election officials

Bar adverse employment action against precinct election officials

Elections Labor
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Roy Klopfenstein
Last action
Official status
As Introduced
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Bar adverse employment action against precinct election officials

To enact section 3501.281 of the Revised Code to prohibit adverse employment actions against employees who are absent from work while serving as, or training to be, precinct election officials.

What This Bill Does

  • To enact section 3501.281 of the Revised Code to prohibit adverse employment actions against employees who are absent from work while serving as, or training to be, precinct election officials.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. Ohio Legislature

    As Introduced

Official Summary Text

To enact section 3501.281 of the Revised Code to prohibit adverse employment actions against employees who are absent from work while serving as, or training to be, precinct election officials.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
As Introduced

136th
General Assembly

Regular
Session
H. B. No. 180

2025-2026

Representatives Klopfenstein, Rogers

Cosponsors: Representatives
Glassburn, Thomas, D., Daniels, Hiner, Williams, Cockley, Newman

A
BILL

To
enact section 3501.281 of the Revised Code
to
prohibit adverse employment actions against employees who are absent
from work while serving as, or training to be, precinct election
officials.

BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section
1.
That
section 3501.281 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec.
3501.281.
(A)
Except as provided in division (B) of this section, no employer shall
discharge, threaten to discharge, or take any disciplinary action
that could lead to the discharge of any permanent employee who is
absent from work for either of the following reasons:

(1)
The employee serves as a precinct election official under section
3501.22 of the Revised Code.

(2)
The employee attends a training program described in section 3501.27
of the Revised Code that must be successfully completed by the
employee to perform the duties of an election official.

(B)
Division (A) of this section does not apply unless the employee
satisfies both of the following conditions:

(1)
Before serving as a precinct election official or attending a
training program to perform the duties of an election official, the
employee provides reasonable notice to the employee's employer that
the employee will be serving as an official or attending the training
program.

(2)
The employee is absent from employment because of the actual service
or training program.

(C)
No employer shall require an employee to use annual, vacation, or
sick leave for time spent serving as a precinct election official or
attending a training program to perform the duties of an election
official. This section does not require an employer to provide
annual, vacation, or sick leave to an employee. An employee who is
entitled to annual, vacation, or sick leave under another law,
ordinance, or resolution or the employer's policy may use that leave
in accordance with the law, ordinance, resolution, or policy.